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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. charge — electricity
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. ground — a position
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. kid — child
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bark — to shout
  10. charge — a price
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. squash — to crush
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. charge — in control
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. ground — the earth
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bank — of a river
  20. ground — crushed
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bank — for money
  24. bark — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com